Disney has announced that it intends to buy comic book giant Marvel Entertainment in a stock and cash deal worth around $4 billion, subject to Marvel shareholder approval.

The deal includes Marvel's over 5000 characters, who have starred in games ranging from the sublime 1992 X-Men arcade side-scroller and gory X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to the critically-panned movie tie-ins Iron Man and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

"We are not doing crappy movie-based games anymore," Marvel digital media VP Ira Rubenstein recently declared. Tie-in games for the Iron Man 2 and Thor movies are in the pipeline, along with unknown fruits of Marvel's ten-year MMO deal with Gazillion.

Marvel's chief spandex rival DC Comics has been owned by Warner Bros. since 1969.

With a spotty record of movie tie-in videogames, Marvel is hoping the well-received X-Men Origins: Wolverine becomes a turning point.

"We are not doing movie-based games anymore," Marvel digital media VP Ira Rubenstein told Joystiq, before restating: "Actually, wait... we are not doing crappy movie-based games anymore. You can quote me on that."

Games based on Iron Man 2 and Thor are currently in development. Marvel also recently signed a ten-year deal with Gazillion Entertainment to turn its superhero properties into multiplayer online games.

Rubenstein acknowledges that the first Iron Man game was not exactly a classic, but apparently feels confident in the sequel. Sega San Francisco--originally known as Secret Level--is again handling development duties. We'll see!

Following yesterday's surprise revelation of a ten-year MMO licensing agreement between comic publisher Marvel and relatively unknown game publisher Gazillion, the two companies have announced the first two MMOs to be made under the deal.

The first game, Marvel Super Hero Squad, is a casual MMO aimed at younger folk.

The second, Marvel Universe, is in development for PC and consoles. Gazillion will develop and publish the game, with more details to arrive in the coming months.

City of Heroes developer Cryptic Studios previously worked on an MMO titled Marvel Universe Online, though it was later cancelled due to World of Warcraft-related fears.

According to today's announcement, Gazillion has been "operating in stealth mode" under the name NR2B Research. The publisher has four wholly-owned MMO development studios: Amazing Society (Super Hero Squad), Gargantuan (Marvel Universe), NetDevil (LEGO Universe, Jumpgate Evolution), and id co-founder John Romero's Slipgate studio, which is working on an original MMO.

Lego Universe publisher Gazillion Entertainment has signed an exclusive 10-year deal with Marvel to develop its comic book properties into multiplayer online games.

Gazillion and Marvel will share revenue of the games, according to an early report by the Wall Street Journal. The two companies will reportedly announce more details on the venture tomorrow.

An MMO based on the Marvel properties, Marvel Universe Online, was announced in 2006. The game was being developed by City of Heroes developer Cryptic Studios for the Xbox 360 and PC, until it was abruptly cancelled early last year, partly due to concern by publisher Microsoft over World of Warcraft's dominance in the MMO market.

With rival DC Comics pitting its characters against the cast of Mortal Kombat in the upcoming Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (PS3, 360), Marvel has begun teasing a new entry in the fan-favorite Marvel vs. Capcom fighting series.

"Yes [a new Marvel vs. Capcom game is possible], and maybe sooner than you think," Marvel Studios production presient Kevin Feige revealed at the San Diego Comic Con following a fan question, as relayed by IGN.

The tag team-oriented 2D fighting series, which hit arcades in 1998 following X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, pits Marvel superheroes such as Wolverine and Spider-Man against various Capcom characters, including Mega Man, Resident Evil's Jill Valentine, Street Fighter's Ryu and Darkstalker's Morrigan.

Marvel vs. Capcom later appeared on PlayStation and Dreamcast, with a sequel released to arcades in 1999 and later arriving on Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Both the PS2 and Xbox versions have since highly-valued collector's items.

Capcom is known to have two fighters in the works, Street Fighter 4 and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes, with the latter pitting Capcom's lineup against the work of Gatchaman (G-Force: Guardians of Space) animators Tatsunoko.

Publisher THQ announced today that it has acquired the license to create a game based on Marvel's "burgeoning, kid-friendly" Super Hero Squad property.

Aimed at young children, the Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise presents happy big-headed renditions of classic Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, The Incredible Hulk, and the planet-eating Galactus (pictured left).

The Marvel Super Hero Squad game is slated to arrive on unknown platforms in fall 2009, coinciding with the 2009 launch of the television show. Action figures are already in stores, with a dedicated comic book series planned for the fall.

According to THQ, which recently lost $35.3 million and is axing 200 employees, Marvel Super Hero Squad "further strengthens its position as the pre-eminent creator and publisher of kids video games."